So You Think You Want a Corgi

I've been wanting to write this for awhile and just found the time. I hope people find it helpful. I've gathered my information from personal experience, the stories of people on this site, and some reputable breed resources.

We regularly get people asking if a Corgi is the right dog for them, so I'm hoping this can help people see what it's like to live with Corgis. I have focused on the issues that might be problematic for some people or situations, with the most focus on those issues about which new Corgi owners (and some experienced ones) frequently ask advice. Feel free to add comments with anything I might have missed (and I'm sure I missed plenty!) Thanks!

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So you think you want a Corgi.

Who can resist a Corgi? With that foxy face, stubby legs, and bunny butt they are cute as can be. Pick up a book on dog breeds, or visit a breed-selector web site, and you will find that Corgis are smart, easy-to-train, and have an easy-care, dirt-repelling coat. They are loyal to their people, can live peacefully with other animals, are good watch dogs and don’t require acres of running room. Toss in a convenient size and the fact that they can be happy in most climates, and they sound like the perfect dog.

But no dog is right for everyone. The question is, is the Corgi the right dog for you?

Corgis have several breed traits that can cause problems for many homes, and here on MyCorgi we have seen more than a few cases of people needing to rehome their pets because of typical breed behavior that the owner had trouble handling. Here are some of the Corgi traits that all future owners should be aware of:

Barking:

Almost all dogs bark. Corgis bark a lot. If you have never lived with dogs that bark a lot, you may want to spend some time in the home of someone with a barking breed to see if you can live with it.

It’s true that many Corgis make excellent watchdogs. As herding and farm dogs, one of their historic jobs was to notice anything “different” and alert the owners. This means your Corgi is likely to bark if someone walks up your sidewalk or if a stray cat starts digging up your flowerbeds.

Your Corgi may also alert you if your neighbor left a gate open, if a car is parked on the opposite side of the street from its usual spot, or if the wind is rattling your gutter. He may bark to warn you that someone is entering your neighbor’s house--- and oh yes, it IS your neighbor. He might be best friends with the Labrador up the street, but that won’t stop him from barking to warn you that the Labrador is walking past your house.

He may also bark to let you know you left a light on, there’s a dirty dish on a counter, it’s ten minutes past bedtime, or that you forgot to give him his after-dinner treat.

While you may be able to train your Corgi to stop barking on command, you may never stop him from giving the initial warning. His job is to let you know something is different, and your job is to see if the thing that’s different is threatening. He may not stop barking until you acknowledge what he saw or heard, which might be fine at lunchtime but is not as fun at 3AM.

Corgis also tend to bark when playing. As cattle- and geese-drovers, they moved their stock by nipping at their legs and barking. Because of this history, many Corgis bark when things move, or to get things to move. So they may bark at a thrown tennis ball, bark to get you to throw the Frisbee, or bark whenever other dogs run. This type of motion-activated barking can be difficult to control and almost impossible to eliminate.

Finally, many Corgis are “talkers” who use a wide range of vocalizations to express any number of opinions or to get your attention. Corgi vocalizations may include low woofs, whines, grumbles, short howls, and a series of whining grunts that many Corgi owners refer to affectionately as “Wookie” or “Chewbacca” noises.

The bottom line is, if you don’t like barking dogs, don’t get a Corgi.

Nipping:

Nipping falls into two categories. The first is nipping at legs. This comes from the herding background of a Corgi. The behavior is easy to stop in puppies (if you want to participate in herding with your Corgi, please consult a herding trainer before training this out of your Corgi pup, since you can eliminate the herding tendency completely if you handle this the wrong way.) If a Corgi has reached adulthood with the nipping behavior still present, it can be harder to stop, but it can be done. Before you get a Corgi puppy, you should be prepared to deal with this behavior appropriately.

The other type of nipping is puppy play-biting. Just about all puppies must be taught that it’s not ok to bite people in play; dogs bite each other in play and this behavior is normal. The difference is that compared to most gun dogs and some other soft-mouthed breeds, many Corgi puppies bite hard. This type of biting is easy enough to stop if you are diligent and consistent, but in some puppies the behavior can take weeks or more to eliminate. If you have frail people in your home, people who are afraid of dogs, or small children who you won’t be able to keep away from the puppy during the training process, a Corgi puppy may not be for you. An adult or older puppy may be a better choice.

Corgi Coats:

That weather-resistant double coat comes with a price. Corgis shed a lot. I mean a lot. Most dogs shed, but double coated breeds blow coat once or twice a year, and the Corgi undercoat is very dense. You may see a tiny eighth-inch clump of dead hair sticking out of your Corgi and give it a tug only to find yourself holding a two-inch chunk in your hand as the loosed undercoat expands. When your Corgi is shedding, you will find wafting balls of hair in corners and under furniture. And on your clothes. And in your food. No amount of brushing will prevent this because the hair just keeps coming until your dog has no undercoat left. You will wonder how a dog can lose so much hair and still have a full coat on his body. In addition, light shedding can be expected year-round.

The other issue is that the Corgi coat is truly amazing at repelling dirt. We get regular compliments on how well groomed our dogs are, yet the fact is that except when they are blowing coat I only brush them once a week for perhaps three minutes each. Their colored bits gleam and their white parts are spotless. They can run through the mud and within ten minutes there is hardly a spot on them, and what is left can easily be brushed off. They only need a bath if they roll in something that smells.

What is the downside to this? The downside is the Corgi coat picks up dirt in one place (outside) and deposits it somewhere else (on your floor). You will bring your Corgi in from a walk, and she will lie on the floor, and ten minutes later when she gets up there will be a fine sifting of grit on the ground that came off her belly.

Corgis’ short legs are a problem here too. Corgi bellies always get wet. In the summer they get wet from dew. In the spring and fall it’s from rain, and in the winter from snow.

If having a towel hanging near the door all year is something that doesn’t appeal to you, don’t get a Corgi. If a clean house is important to you, then another breed might suit you better.

Energy Level:

Energy level varies widely between individual Corgis. All will need regular walks and some playtime and training to be happy. Many Corgis need much more than that. Some are almost impossible to tire out, and young Corgis (under 2) may never stop moving. One of mine can go for a two-hour off-leash hike, take a thirty-minute power nap, and start dropping tennis balls at my feet to play. Corgis like this need to learn some sort of “settle” or “enough” command or you won’t have any peace, and quite a few Corgis need a job (agility, herding, competition-level obedience) to be happy. Their bossiness (see below) and tendency to bark (see above) can make a Corgi with unspent energy very difficult to live with.

My own experience is with Pembrokes and my understanding is that Cardigans can be a little bit more laid-back in energy level.

Need to be with you:

Corgis in general are not prone to separation anxiety when you are out of the home (any dog can develop this, but some breeds are more prone than others). However, when you are home your Corgi will want to be with you. Most Corgis don’t like being left in a yard alone. They will follow you around the house, helping you cook, do laundry, and even take a shower if you let them.

They also don’t like if their people are scattered through the house. Most Corgis want everyone to be in one place at one time and may act anxious or unhappy if someone is upstairs and someone else is downstairs. This behavior is common to many herding breeds and its intensity varies from individual to individual. If your family likes to spend evenings scattered in different rooms, you may want to consider a different breed.

Intelligence:

Many people who say they like smart dogs have never owned one! Having a Corgi means making sure you always stay one step ahead of her. Most Corgis learn new behaviors easily, which means it won’t be hard to teach her to sit, stay, and come when called. It also means she’ll learn that you can’t catch her if she’s not on a leash and runs the other way. She’ll remember that you stashed her favorite tug toy in the laundry room. She won’t forget that the last time you made chicken you gave her a piece and she’ll start drooling every time you make chicken. She may make associations you do not want her to make and learn in which situations you make her listen and in which ones you don’t follow through.

Bossiness:

Bossiness is not the same thing as dominance. Cows and geese are stubborn and can be aggressive, and a Corgi that backed down when confronted was a dog that could not do its job. Even submissive, people-pleasing Corgis can sometimes be bossy. Corgis may talk back, exhibit “selective hearing,” bark to demand treats or play, or shove you with a nose or paw to get you to move in a certain direction or pet them on command. Corgis do not tolerate manhandling, but they do require owners who are consistent and don’t give in to all their demands. Even a submissive Corgi can become a pushy, domineering brat if you don’t show him that you are a calm, effective leader who does not let the dog make all the decisions. Those of us who love Corgis find them endearing and the bossiness amusing, but some common Corgi bossy behaviors include planting feet on walks and refusing to move if you choose a different direction than the Corgi wanted to travel; barking incessantly to demand play-time; and pawing/nudging for belly rubs. If it is important to you that your dog be obedient and deferential most of the time, don’t get a Corgi.

Remember that hard-wired breed behaviors are difficult or impossible to eliminate and physical attributes can’t be changed, so if you get a Corgi you should be comfortable living with these things for the life of the dog. Corgis were bred to be independent problem-solvers who could work for hours. It is unfair to own a Corgi and not provide her a healthy outlet for that type of energy.

If you read this and thought “How funny! That’s just what I’m looking for!” then welcome to the large club of Corgi-lovers. If not, then admire them from afar and continue your search until you find the breed that’s perfect for you.

Although I'll second most of your remarks re. barking, this has not been a problem for us (perhaps I'd better ask the neighbors..?). Ours do the watchdog thing, and the motion-activated barking, and the throw-the-ball-Stupid invitational play bark, but mostly, they are silent. Occasional unnecessary barks at passersby, appropriate alerts to visitors/trespassers (unfortunately this includes squirrels), but no maddening repetitive yapping-at-nothing, no boy-who-cried "wolf". Our first corgi would yip once, discreetly, to be let in.

The only time I can't shut them up is when I come home -- because they know I'm flattered and find it endearing.

While hiking, both dogs are entirely silent.

One thing I greatly appreciate is Al's low prey drive. He does not bark at or molest wildlife (off or on leash). This may be idiosyncratic, not a breed trait. Al has been within 10-30' of marmots, deer, and grouse chicks without making a sound or a lunge. He passed his Porcupine Test this summer. YMMV. And Gwynnie might have flunked (she will chase squirrels).

I would add: are you right for a corgi? If you truly LOVE to walk outdoors, I think that's a good sign.

Maddie has a very high prey drive and Jack does not at all. Maddie will put a chipmunk to ground and you have to literally haul her off the hole; even cheese won't tempt her away. I've lost her in the woods once or twice. She does turn back up but it's a bit alarming. Jack on the other hand hardly bats an eye.

We live on a street with a lot of foot traffic, so that of course influences how often we get the warning barks!

NOTE! Corgis are prone to PLASTIC BAG SUFFOCATION because their short forelegs cannot dislodge a food back stuck on their snout. Fairly common FATAL accident. Baby-proof your home! Lock up garbage, cut bottoms of plastic food bags, watch your guests! Many corgis have died this way. NO JOKE.

Light-colored red/fawn coats might be more comfortable in summer sun than black-backed tris. I have bought cooling vests because the only time I have to wait for them is in summer sun where shade is scarce. Fluffy coats may exacerbate heat (? no experience personally).

I didn't learn what corgis were really like until I got my second one. It seems that my first, Linus, is a Corgi oddity. He is quiet, mellow, the perfect house dog, easiest puppy to raise and train, never does anything wrong.

So I thought another one of those would make life perfect. In comes Sherman who barks constantly, never stops moving, and has all the corgi quirks (the voices, sleeps upside down etc) We thought he was a freak until I came to this sight and saw hundreds of corgis like Sherman.

I now know that my mellow quiet corgi is the exception to the norm :) I am just happy I don't have two crazy corgis :)

Well.. I think that some of this is a bit harsh, but a lot of the points are deffinately something to look at.

I haven't ever met a puppy that didn't bite hard. Or one that couldn't manipulate me by nudging and staring longingly at me until I cave into what they want-they can't speak for themselves, they have to communicate somehow. Or a dog that doesn't bark a lot unless of course trained otherwise-maybe this is because I grew up with a beagle/daschund mix and my aunt had wolf/malamute hybrids.. But none of them were trained in the least-I'm not saying you're wrong, I just don't think that these are just corgi things in particular.

I am especially happy to hear more and more about corgis wanting to be around you 24/7.. I've never found anything better than the one time I had a dog that would follow me around, he would even wait in the bathroom with me while I showered, poking his little pug head through the shower curtain constantly as if to make sure I was still there. So hearing this, I am greatly excited! (And it works out great because my fiance works from home and he and I are always in the same room practically anyhow, so this will work out for my pup!:P)

I don't know, maybe a lot of the community here will think down on me for this.. But I think that a lot of people take this too seriously... It's a dog, and yes it is a HUGE commitment that can and most likely will last the better part of the next twenty years... But I don't think a person needs to know everything about a dog before buying one, every dog needs training to be the 'perfect' dog, so again, I don't think they should have to know EVERYTHING.. I've researched quite a bit with no other reason than I want to be informed... But really.. I think that just knowing what type of dog it is in instincts/breif general breed personality, like knowing that corgis are a herding dog and such, knowing the common illnesses or allergies that occur in the breed, and just knowing how to take care of a puppy, period is enough for people just wanting a companion. They just need to make sure that they want a dog.. I don't know, maybe it just gets to me because I know that I wouldn't stop loving my dog over a few bumps in the road and I hate to think that other people would.

No dog is perfect, there's always going to be some habit or behaviour that needs to be worked on more than likely.

I hope I didn't upset anyone on here, or you, Beth.. I was just voicing my opinion. I hope you don't think down on me too much. Yeah, I may seem like the typical, I know everything snotty teenager who doesn't really know anything at all.. But that's really not it.. I am informed, I just think that I would have been fine even if I didn't know all that I do.. I love all dogs, even the vicious ones that have bitten me, or tried to. Even if I can't pet them, I still enjoy talking to them and being around them.. Corgis really do seem perfect to me.. Even with the parts that some would find annoying.

Kymii, of course I'm not offended! Some people will adapt and do what they need to do to keep a dog happy, and for them not knowing everything is fine. Other people--- well, we've had people in apartment complexes with "no bark" policies who got Corgis then wanted to know how to make them stop barking, for instance. I think because they are short, a lot of people lump Corgis in with "small dogs" and don't realize they have a true herding personality til it's too late.

Like many people, I grew up with hunting dogs (labs and spaniels are popular pets) and they don't bite hard, not even as puppies. They mouth gently. Many people are shocked when they get a Corgi pup and it starts nipping, though some come home already with good bite inhibition and others don't. And I grew up either living with or next door to (double house) pointers, setters, beagles, springers, labs, german shorthairs and jack russels and none barked half as much as mine do. Now my parents have a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, which is also a breed bred to bark (guard duck boats) and she barks similarly to my two, but louder. My father is 70 and has had dogs since before he could walk and he says this is the first dog he's ever had that he could not train to not bark at certain situations.

Thanks for your feedback, and like I said it's great you'll handle any dog but of course other people are more particular.

First let me say that I guess I got pretty lucky in the Corgi I have, and that my half thought of getting an adult male to add to the family might not be a good idea.
My question is, do people that can't handle this need to not have a dog at all? What breed is small, doesn't bark, is easy to train, low maintenance, and inheritently submissive? A stuffed animal??
My corgi is the smallest dog I've ever had, the few dogs I have ever had before have all been large. So I'm sure this is stereo-typing, but aren't most small dogs yappy and hard to train and hyper?
So what do you suggest to people who are determined to get a dog, but can't handle the "dogness" of it all?
I will Admit to opening a discussion and sighing at some of the discussion post of the "so cute, OMG I want a puppy" variety. (no Kymii, not you. You def research enough) But I was usually thinking that they don't need a dog at all. Just saying that I agree with both sides. And Beth, you always have such GOOD advice.

First, remember if you are getting an adult you can get a pretty good idea of its personality before you bring it home, unless it's living in a shelter situation where the stress can alter the dog's personality. So if you want to add a second dog, you can specify that you are looking for a more laid-back individual.

To answer your question about "not getting a dog at all" the thing is, there are many breeds that were bred primarily to be companion dogs. Corgis are a working breed and while some are much more laid back than others, the fact is none of the working breeds are a good fit for many homes. Corgis are actually not small dogs, and even among small dogs there is wide variation (King Charles Spaniels and Boston Terriers were developed as companion dogs and most homes can handle them. Jack Russel Terriers are working farm dogs and just too much dog for the average home).

Perfect example of a bad fit: we recently found a wandering Husky and heard she's loose a lot. We brought her home and the family is looking to place her because she gets loose all the time and with little kids in the house they can't find the time for her. Thing is, Huskies are known to be escape artists who need TONS of exercise and she is a good dog who is a bad fit for that home. There are many dogs that would have been a better fit for that family and had they known what they know now, they would have picked a different breed.